Fortitude
by FilicitySykes
Summary: Set after Breaking Dawn. After the visit from the Volturi, life continues, but it's anything but normal. Trouble and danger continue to follow Edward and Bella as new threats appear. Will they leave Forks? How long will Renesmee's childhood last? And why are the Volturi showing so much interest in one particular member of the Cullen family? Canon couples, E/B central.


The light faded as it made its way through the clouds. At one point in my life I would have thought it dulled the landscape into a haze. But now my eyes knew better. Instead it cast a softer tone onto the world. It was as if the air was sighing, releasing all it's pent up stress of having to roll the sun across the sky for yet another day. I sighed along with it and saw my released breath swirl the mist in front of me into a light dance before being swept away by a strong wind from the east. The branch I was standing on swayed along with it and I followed in perfect tandem so as not to fall off. Or rather _I_ did not sway along with the tree but my body did it for me before I could even process the thought. My mouth twitched at this. Being a vampire had some perks.

A dark bird flew across the sky, using the recent wind as an advantage; Letting the breeze lift it into the air as it soared over the points of the trees. I watched in wonder as I saw it's muscles ripple under the feathers, before swooping back down beneath the tree line, probably having sighted it's prey. The lithe creature had no idea a much more vicious predator had been watching it.

But I was done with my hunt, two elk and one large buck had been enough for me today. I felt that delightful "sloshy" feeling that came with a full day's feed. But my mouth did not feel so delightful.

 _Urgh, elk._

I ran my tongue around my mouth trying to purge the last of the taste and restrained myself from spitting. Of course I prefered the carnivorous animals, but Carlisle had recently warned us about the depletion of such animals in the area. With eight vampires, one hybrid and a werewolf all hunting the same forests this was quite understandable. And so, much to our delight, we were all on a strict herbivore-only diet till the next season.

 _If we remain here till next season_ , I thought to myself.

I let out another sigh, but this time not out of contentment. It was an unspoken question in all of our minds, _Would we leave soon? Have we been here too long? Where would we go?_ In the past the Cullen's rarely remained in one place for too long, for fear of their agelessness being questioned. This was now there fourth year in forks and the extra publicity that came with the extravagant wedding last september it wouldn't be long before people grew curious. Small town talk was bound to turn to the police chief's daughter and her whereabouts eventually.

Another gust of wind brought up scents from below; Earth and moss and damp bark. The air was heavy with the smell of the forest.

I would miss Forks.

We would come back here, I knew that. But my greatest regret would be taking Renesmee out of Charlie's life, and him out of hers. They delighted in each others presence, and knowing this particular part of our lives would not last forever made the moments even more precious. Even if we were to visit Charlie from our new home Renesmee's childhood was short and her beloved grandfather would miss out what would be the equivalent of years if she were human.

No. I decided. I would not separate them.

I more than anyone, except perhaps her father and wolfy best friend, was aware of her childhood slipping through my hands like sand. This was the cost of keeping her forever.

A third gust of wind brought me from my thoughts. Yet again it brought up scents of the undergrowth.

 _Perhaps a storm is coming._ And sure enough, as Iooked from the top of my tree over the forest and to the landscape beyond there were dark rain clouds rolling over the mountains. I could not remain in this world blanketed by clouds for much longer.

I prepared to say goodbye to my serene peace. I breathed in the familiar smell of pine and fern and...

Another familiar scent hung in the breeze, one that sent a light current of bliss across my skin.

Honey, lilac and like the warmth of the sun...

"Penny for your thoughts?" Came a smooth voice from down below.

Edward.

"The rain is coming," he spoke again is a voice as smooth as silk, "Last time we got caught in it you complained the whole way home."

Taking one last look at the green world around me I stepped off my branch and dropped through the air. For a split second my mind thought back to the bird I had seen and wondered if he felt the same joy as I did as the air whipped past me. And then a moment later I was in Edward's arms.

His freshly goldended eyes were looking at me with humour and it wasn't until he raised one perfect eyebrow into an arc and a smirk splayed across his lips that I realised he had just teased me.

"I wasn't complaining." I resounded.

"Yes you were, I specifically remember you saying you hated being "soaked through to the bone". Quite an exaggeration my love, as you fully well known vampire skin is impervious to water." The humorous lilt didn't leave his voice.

"Well... I didn't complain the whole way home." I tried to sound strong willed in my response but it didn't escape my attention that he was still holding me in his arms, and that my tattered clothes left gaps were my skin could press against his thin shirt.

"Most of the way home at least." It seemed he had given up on his mock argument, as his scanning eyes also noticed my disarray.

It turned out I was yet to perfect the immaculate hunting style the rest of the cullens could do with ease.

I has smudges of dirt and dried blood all over my simple get up. Rips and tears in my jeans where I had split the fabric, one large gap along my thigh showing white skin underneath. A similar number number of slices of skin showed beneath the criss cross rips in my T-shirt too.

"I look ridiculous."

"On the contrary," He replied, his eyes deeping a shade or two darker. "I think it's rather becoming."

One long finger traced the larger gap on the outside of my thigh. And his head bobbed appreciatively.

"However," he continued, "I don't much like the idea of the family seeing quite as much of you."

"Emmet will laugh."

He chuckled at that. "I'm sure he would. But not if you run upstairs and get changed first. I'm sure Alice will already have something picked out."

"Are we going to the main house? I thought we'd be going back to the cottage. Jake's not bringing Renesmee back from Charlie's till later this evening." I took that moment to gently scratch the back of his neck where my hands rested.

Though we loved our daughter enormously it was not often we got the house all to ourselves. There was often a snoring werewolf on our couch these days.

He chuckled again, only now a little more breathy, and pressed his forehead to mine. "Unfortunately not Love, it seems a family meeting has been called."

 _Moving_ , I thought grimly.

It seemed Edward read my expression and furrowed his brow. He felt the same as me on this topic. "I don't know Love. But that's not out of the realm of possibility. We'll find out when we get there."

"I don't want to take her away from Charlie."

"I know Love, I know," He leaned forwards to press a kiss on my forehead. "We'll sort it out."

He kissed my head again and I sighed, a light smile played on my lips. He had such faith in us, and hearing it in his voice calmed my worries a little.

No matter what, we'd work to sort it out together.

He mirrored my sigh and once again pressed his forehead against mine. If I thought looking over the treetops was my serene world, I was wrong.

This was.

His arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly to his chest and my arms around his next, fingers in his hair. Our eyes closed and breathing in the same air. This was my world.

A single raindrop fell from above and landed with a soft whisper on Edward's cheek.

I lifted my hand to his face and wiped it off.

"Urgh rain," I said.

I couldn't help but smile as he broke into peel's of golden laughter.

I used that moment to jump from his arms and onto the ground and lifted my head to survey the sky.

"I don't think we can outrun that." I said with a grimace. The dark clouds were almost directly above us.

"Uh huh"

I looked back to my husband only to see that his playful laughter had deepened into something more.

He now stood slightly slack jawed, as if he had forgotten he had been laughing. His eyes now a closer shade to the dark clouds above than his usual honey, though the edges still remained gold. Wide eyed he was scanning my disheveled look up and down.

I followed his eyes and surveyed myself. Now standing my torn clothes were showing even more skin, one particular rip on my left side showed a large section of waist and hip.

"I'll never get it right." I said in irritation.

"Uh huh." Edward said again.

I looked up at him, his face blank and unmoving other than his eyes.

Edward was positively dazzled.

"They can catch us up on the meeting," he said with a slight smirk and stepped flush against me, one hand slowly stroking the exposed skin on my waist. He lowered his eyes to watch his hand move up and down, torturously slowly as he often liked. "And it would be easier for you to go back to the cottage to get changed."

Though only a moment ago irritated with my hunting skills, the feel of his fingers send a shiver through me and brought me straight to his line of thought.

I'm sure my eyes must have darkened as well.

He raised his other hand, also as torturously slowly, to lightly place it underneath my chin. Changing roles from the dazzled to the dazzler his gaze moved first to my eyes and then to my lips. His next move was obvious and my breath hitched.

Another raindrop fell and this time landed on my cheek.

I didn't notice.

My mind was entirely filled with Edward gently lowering his face to mine, his breath just as needlesles laboured as mine.

What I did notice however was the shrill noise of his phone ringing from his pocket.

We stopped just a breath away from each other.

"Alice" We growled together.

"Ignore her." He said, eyes still blazing.

But I knew better.

We'd tried ignoring the pixie's incessant phone calls before, only to have her barge into our cottage, one hand over her eyes and the other on her hip in classic Alice fashion.

It was better to be interrupted before we got started.

Edward still moved forwards, intent on getting his kiss, but I neatly ducked under his arm and swiped the phone out of his pocket.

"Edward Cullen don't you dare!" Came the voice from the phone.

Edward ignored the warning however, promptly placing his hands on my waist and pulling me into him. The sudden jerk of his movements made me gasp.

Embarrassingly Alice heard this.

"Edward Cullen get your hands off of her this instance!"

Set on his mission my husband swept my hair over my shoulder, teasingly letting his fingers drift over my neck as he did so.

It became increasingly difficult not to hang up the phone.

"Bella, don't _you_ dare!"

"I'm not doing anything, it's all him!"

Edward chuckled into my neck, sending his breath over my skin.

"You're thinking about it!" She shrieked down the phone. "Edward, no!"

Before I could ask what she had seen my husband do, he tightened his arms and hummed against my skin in appreciation before placing a single slow soft kiss against my neck.

I gasped again, not caring if Alice could hear.

"So help me I will run out there and find you! You won't have any sheets to hide under this time!"

"You cover your eyes." Edward muttered, not giving Alice his full attention, as he was now committed to finding more ways to make me gasp.

"Yeah Alice," I tried to back Edward up, but my voice barely came out.

Another kiss.

"It's going to rain!"

Another kiss, he was headed towards my jaw.

"Don't care." I muttered into the phone, my thumb hoving over the phone ready to hang up.

"Three!"

Another kiss, on my jaw.

"Two"

He hummed again, lips vibrating against my skin.

His long fingers lightly under my chin.

"One"

The heaven's opened and before Edward could make it to my lips we were pelted with large drops of rain.

We simultaneously lifted our faces to the rain, and when I looked back to him his wide smile dazzled me. He laughed joyously, finding hilarity in our situation despite our second interruption.

I couldn't help but laugh as well.

"Told you." Came the singsong voice from the phone.

I hung up the phone and kissed him.

Wet hair and wet skin, he gripped her to him and I could feel his lips smile against mine as he kissed me enthusiastically. As I tilted my head to gain better access to his mouth he mirrored me and I could taste the raindrops on his lips. It only seemed to enhance his flavour and my lips also spread into a smile.

Perhaps rain wasn't so bad.

He chuckled into the kiss and pulled his face away to look at me.

He looked stunning. Wet hair plastered to his forehead, beads of water caught in his eyelashes and rolling down the strong lines of his face. But most of all I was completely entranced by his golden eyes looking down at me with complete ecstasy and joy.

"I love you." I said, meaning it with every part of my being.

And impossibly, his smile widened.

"I love you too," He replied, almost irreverently before placing one more kiss on my smiling lips.

"Let's go then" he said.

And before I could reply he was away, bounding through the sheeting rain and laughing as he went.

And I did as I would always do.

I followed him.


End file.
